Phrase guide

XO sauce

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A spicy sauce from Hong Kong, made from roughly chopped dried seafood, chili peppers, onions, and garlic.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From the name of fine XO (extra-old) cognac, which (though not an ingredient of the sauce) denotes high quality, prestige, and luxury in Hong Kong.

Across languages

Translations

9 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Cantonese: XO醬 /XO酱 (ik1 si4 ou1 zoeng3) — sauce
  • Chinese Mandarin: XO醬 /XO酱 (àikèsī'ōujiàng) — sauce
  • Estonian: XO-kaste — sauce
  • Finnish: XO-kastike — sauce
  • French: sauce XO — sauce
  • Japanese: XO醤 (ekkusuō jan) — sauce
  • Korean: XO장 (XOjang) — sauce
  • Malay: sos XO — sauce
  • Spanish: salsa XO — sauce